Persians
Choose a text
id="mobileReaderAuthor" class="mobile-reader-author" href="/authors/aeschylus" aria-label="More works by Aeschylus">
—
⋯
Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
129
129
Atossa
129
Alas! In truth a vast sea of troubles has burst upon the Persians and the entire barbarian race.
130
130
Messenger
130
Be assured of this, not even half of the disaster has as yet been told. A calamity so dreadful as to outweigh these ills twice over befell them.
131
131
Atossa
131
But what greater misfortune than this could have befallen them? Speak! What is this other disaster you say
132
came upon our force, sinking the scale to greater weight of ill?
133
133
Messenger
133
Those Persians who were in their life’s prime, bravest in spirit, pre-eminent for noble birth, and always among the foremost in loyalty to the King himself— these have fallen ignobly by a most inglorious doom.
134
134
Atossa
134
Ah, I am truly reduced to misery through this disaster! By what fate was it that you say they met their end?
135
135
Messenger
135
There is an islandPsyttalea.lying before Salamis, a small one and dangerous anchorage for ships; its sea-washed shore is the haunt of Pan, who loves the dance.
136
There Xerxes dispatched these, his choicest troops, in order that when the Hellenic enemy, wrecked from their ships, should flee in search of safety to the island, they might slaughter their force, an easy prey, and rescue their comrades from the straits of the sea. Grievously did he misjudge the issue. For when some god
137
had given the glory to the Hellenes in the battle on the sea, on that same day, fencing their bodies in armor of bronze, they leapt from their ships and encircled the whole island, so that our men were at a loss which way to turn. Often they were struck by stones slung from their hands,
138
and arrows sped from the bow-string kept falling upon them and doing them harm. At last the Hellenes, charging with one shout, struck them and hacked to pieces the limbs of the poor wretches, until they had utterly quenched the life of all.
139
Xerxes groaned aloud when he beheld the extent of the disaster, for he occupied a seat commanding a clear view of the entire army—a lofty headland by the open sea. Tearing his robes and uttering a loud cry, he straightaway gave orders to his force on land
140
and dismissed them in disorderly flight. This, besides the one already told, is the disaster you must bewail.
141
141
Atossa
141
O hateful divinity, how have you foiled the purpose of the Persians! Cruel was the vengeance which my son brought upon himself for his designs against illustrious Athens; the barbarians
142
whom Marathon destroyed were not enough. It was in an effort to exact retribution for them that my son has drawn upon himself so great a multitude of woes. But the ships that escaped destruction—tell me about them. Where did you leave them? Can you give a clear report?
143
143
Messenger
143
The commanders of the ships which still remained fled with a rush in disorder wherever the wind bore them. As for the survivors of the army, they perished in Boeotian territory, some, faint from thirst, beside a refreshing spring, while some of us, exhausted and panting,
144
made our way to the land of the Phocians, to Doris and the Melian gulf, where the Spercheus waters the plain with kindly stream. Coming from there, badly in need of food, we received welcome in the Achaean land and the cities of the Thessalians.
145
There it was that many perished of thirst and hunger, for we were oppressed by both. And we came to the Magnesian land and to the country of the Macedonians, to the ford of the Axius and Bolbe’s reedy marsh, and to Mount Pangaeus,
146
in the Edonian land. But on that night the god roused winter before its time and froze the stream of sacred Strymon from shore to shore. Many a man who before that had held the gods in no esteem, implored them then in supplication, doing obeisance to earth and heaven.
147
But when our host had made an end of its fervent invocation of the gods, it ventured to pass across the ice-bound stream. And each of us who started on his way before the sun god dispersed his beams, found himself in safety, for the bright orb of the sun with its burning rays
148
heated the middle section and pierced it with its flames. One after another our men sank in, and fortunate indeed was he who perished soonest. The survivors, after making their way through Thrace with great hardship,
149
—and few they were indeed—escaped to the safety of the land of their homes; now the city of the Persians may make lament in regret for the beloved youth of the land. What I say is true, yet much remains untold of the ills launched by Heaven upon the Persians. Exit
150
150
Chorus
150
O unearthly power, source of our cruel distress, with what crushing weight have you fallen upon the whole Persian race!
151
151
Atossa
151
How the utter destruction of our host distresses me! O vivid vision of my dreams at night, how clearly did you signify misfortune to me!
152
And all too lightly did you in turn interpret it. However, since your explanation determined thus, first of all I wish to offer prayers to the gods, and then I will return after I have brought from the palace a sacrificial cake as a gift to Earth and the dead.
153
I know indeed that it is for what cannot be undone, yet I do this in the hope that something more auspicious may come to pass in the future. But you should confer faithfully with the faithful counsellors in view of what has befallen. And as for my son, if he should come here before I return,
154
comfort him and escort him to the palace, so that he will not inflict on himself some further ill to crown those already ours. Exit
155
155
Chorus
155
O sovereign Zeus, by destroying the army of the haughty and multitudinous Persians,
156
you have shrouded in the gloom of grief the city of Susa and of Agbatana! Many a woman, who has a share in this sorrow, tears her veil with tender hands
157
and moistens with drenching tears the robe covering her bosom. And the Persian wives, indulging in soft wailing through longing to behold their lords and abandoning the daintily wrought coverlets of their couches, the delight of their youth,
158
mourn with complainings that know no end. So I too sustain the truly woeful fate of those who are gone.
159
159
Chorus
159
For now in truth the whole land of Asia, decimated, moans:
160
Xerxes led forth (woe!), Xerxes laid low (woe!), Xerxes disposed all things imprudently with his sea-going vessels. Why then was Darius
161
in his time so unscathed by disaster, he who was ruler of archers, to the men of Susa a beloved leader?
162
162
Chorus
162
For infantry and seamen both, the ships, dark-eyedThe great eye that was often painted on each bow made a Greek ship seem a thing of life. Cp. Aesch. Supp. 716.and linen-winged,
163
led forth (woe!), the ships laid them low (woe!), the ships, under the deadly impact of the foe and by the hands of Ionians.
164
The King himself, as we learn, has barely made his escape over the wintry paths which traverse the plains of Thrace.
175
175
Atossa
175
My friends, whoever has experience of misery knows that when a sea
176
of troubles comes upon mortal men, they view all things with alarm; but when fortune flows with prosperous tide, they believe that this same fortune will forever bring them success. Now in my case everything seems full of dread; before my eyes appears the enmity of the gods,
177
177
and in my ears there rings a sound that has no note of joy; such is my consternation at the evil tidings which terrify my soul. It is for this reason that I have come here from the palace once again, without my chariot and my former pomp, and bring, as propitiatory libations for the father of my son,
178
offerings that soothe the dead, both white milk, pleasant to drink, from an unblemished cow, and bright honey, distillation wrought from blossoms by the bee, together with lustral water from a virgin spring;
179
179
and from a rustic source, this unmixed draught, the quickening juice of an ancient vine. Here too is the fragrant fruit of the pale-green olive that lives the entirety of its life in luxuriant foliage; and garlanded flowers, produce of the bounteous earth. But come, my friends,
180
chant solemn songs as I make these libations to the dead, and summon forth the divine spirit of Darius, while I convey, in honor of the gods, these offerings for the earth to drink.
181
181
Chorus
181
Royal lady, august queen of the Persians, pour these libations down to the chambers of the earth,
182
while we, in solemn chant, beseech the guides of the dead beneath the earth to be gracious to our prayers. O holy divinities of the nether world, Earth and Hermes, and you, Lord of the dead,
183
send up to the light the spirit from below; for if, beyond our prayers, he knows any further remedy for our distress, he alone of mortals can declare how to bring it to accomplishment.
184
184
Chorus
184
Does our sainted and godlike king hear me as I utter,
185
in obscure barbaric speech, my dismal and dolorous cries? Or must I shout aloud the utter misery of my anguish so that it pierces the earth? Does he hear me from below?
186
186
Chorus
186
O Earth, and you other rulers of those who dwell in the nether world, ensure, I implore, that the glorious spirit, the god of the Persians, whom Susa bore, may quit his abode.
187
Send to the upper world him the likes of whom the Persian earth has never entombed.
197
197
Chorus
197
Alas, alas! You whose death your friends bewailed with bitter tears,
198
why, my king, my king, why is it that our land has lost all its three-tiered galleys,
199
ships that are no more, no more?
200
200
Ghost of Darius
200
O most faithful of the faithful, comrades of my youth, aged Persians, what is it that is troubling the state? The earth groans and is furrowed by the stamp of men. As I behold my wife by my tomb,
201
I feel alarm, and I accept her libations in kindly mood; while you, standing near my tomb, make lament, and with shrill cries that summon the spirits of the dead, invoke me piteously. Not easy is the path out of the tomb, for this reason above all, that the gods beneath the earth
202
are readier to seize than to release. Nevertheless, since I have obtained dominion among them, I have come. But make haste, so that I may not incur blame regarding the time of my sojourn. What is this unexpected ill that weighs the Persians down?
203
203
Chorus
203
I shrink in awe from gazing upon you.
204
I shrink in awe from speaking in your presence by reason of my former dread of you.
205
205
Darius
205
Since, in compliance with your moanings, I have come from the world below, lay aside your awe of me; make your tale not long, but brief; speak out and deliver your story in its entirety.
206
206
Chorus
206
I fear to do your bidding; I fear to speak in your presence and deliver to those I love news hard to utter.
207
207
Darius
207
Since dread long ingrained in your mind restrains you,
208
cease, noble woman, venerable partner of my bed, from your tears and laments, speak to me with all frankness. Afflictions ordained for human life must, we know, befall mankind. For many calamities from the sea, many from the land, arise to mortal men if their span of life is extended far.
209
209
Atossa
209
O you who in prosperity surpassed all mortal men by your happy destiny,
210
since, so long as you gazed upon the beams of the sun, you lived a life of felicity, envied of all, in Persian eyes a god, so now too I consider you fortunate in that you died before you beheld the depth of our calamities. The whole tale, O Darius, you will hear in brief space of time: the power of Persia is ruined almost utterly.
211
211
Darius
211
How did it happen? Did some stroke of pestilence or factional strife come upon the State?
212
212
Atossa
212
Neither; but near Athens our whole host has been brought to ruin.
213
213
Darius
213
Tell me, what son of mine led our army there?
214
214
Atossa
214
Impetuous Xerxes, depopulating the whole surface of the continent.
215
215
Darius
215
Was it by land or sea that he made this mad expedition, the reckless man?
216
216
Atossa
216
By both. There was a twofold front of double armies.
217
217
Darius
217
But how was it that so vast a land force won a passage to the farther shore?
218
218
Atossa
218
By a clever device he yoked the Hellespont so as to gain a passage.
219
219
Darius
219
What! Did he succeed in closing the mighty Bosporus?
220
220
Atossa
220
Yes indeed. One of the divine powers must have assisted him in his purpose.
221
221
Darius
221
Alas! Some mighty power came upon him so that he was not able to think clearly.
222
222
Atossa
222
Yes, since we can see the outcome, what ruin he wrought.
223
223
Darius
223
And how then did they fare that you now lament them?
224
224
Atossa
224
Disaster to the naval force brought ruin to the force on land.
225
225
Darius
225
And did the whole army utterly perish by the spear?
226
226
Atossa
226
Yes, and it is for this reason that the whole city of Susa groans at its desolation.
227
227
Darius
227
Alas for the loss of our warriors’ valiant force and defence!
228
228
Atossa
228
And the host of the Bactrians is lost, wholly destroyed: not even an old man is left.
229
229
Darius
229
Unhappy man, since he has brought to ruin the youth of our allies.
230
230
Atossa
230
But Xerxes, alone and forlorn, with scanty train, they say—
231
231
Darius
231
Met his end, how, tell me, and where? Of his safety is there any hope?
232
232
Atossa
232
To his joy he reached the bridge yoking the two continents.
233
233
Darius
233
And reached our continent in safety? Is this certain?
234
234
Atossa
234
Yes, a proven report establishes this. Doubt there is none.
235
235
Darius
235
Alas! The fulfilment of the oracles has indeed come swiftly, and it is my son upon whom
236
Zeus has caused their issue to descend. Yet I was confident that, only after long lapse of time, the gods would in some way bring them to accomplishment; nevertheless, when man hastens to his own undoing, the god too participates with him. A fountain of misfortune has now, I think, been discovered for all I love. A son of mine it was who, in his ignorance, brought these things to pass through youthful recklessness;
237
for he conceived the hope that he could by shackles, as if it were a slave, restrain the current of the sacred Hellespont, the Bosporus, a stream divine; he set himself to fashion a roadway of a new type, and, by casting upon it hammer-wrought fetters, made a spacious causeway for his mighty host. Mortal though he was, he thought in his folly that he would gain the mastery of all the gods,
238
yes, even over Poseidon. Must this not have been a disease of the soul that possessed my son? I fear that the plenteous treasure amassed by my toil may become the prey of the spoiler.
239
239
Atossa
239
This lesson impetuous Xerxes learned through conversation with evil men. For they kept telling him that, whereas you
240
won plentiful treasure for your children by your spear, he, on his part, through lack of manly spirit, played the warrior at home and did not increase his father’s wealth. Hearing such taunts many a time from evil counsellors, he planned this expedition and army against Hellas.
241
241
Darius
241
Therefore a calamity
242
dreadful and unforgettable has been caused by him, a desolating calamity such as never before befell this city of Susa since our Lord Zeus first ordained that one ruler should bear sway over all Asia with its flocks and wield the sceptre of its government.
243
For Medus was first to be the leader of its host; and another, his son, completed his work since wisdom ruled his spirit. Third, after him, Cyrus, blessed in good fortune, came to the throne and established peace for all his people.
244
The Lydians and Phrygians he won to his rule, and the whole of Ionia he subdued by force; for he won the favor of the gods through his right-mindedness. Fourth in succession, the son of Cyrus ruled the host. Fifth in the list, Mardus came to power, a disgrace to his native land
245
and to the ancient throne; but he was slain in his palace by the guile of noble Artaphrenes, with the help of friends whose duty this was. Sixth came Maraphis, and seventh Artaphrenes.This interpolated or corrupt verse possibly comes from a variant list of the conspirators against the Smerdis (in l. 774 called Mardus), whom the Magian rebels planned to put in the place of the real prince of that name, who was slain by his brother Cambyses. The name Maraphis does not occur elsewhere in connection with this event, and neither he nor Artaphrenes was ever king. Herodotus names Intaphernes as the chief conspirator against the false Smerdis. And I in turn attained the lot I desired,
246
and many a campaign I made with a valiant force; but disaster so dire as this I brought not upon the state. Yet Xerxes my son, youth that he is, has the mind of youth and does not remember my injunctions. Be sure of this, my age-mates:
247
all of us who have held this sovereign power cannot be shown to have wrought ruin as great as this.